Cufflinks for long-sleeve garments to control the length of the garment&#39;s sleeve at the wrist

ABSTRACT

A cufflink device for sleeves with no cufflink hole. The cufflink device selectively controls a position of a sleeve relative to a wrist through the device providing the following: a base plate having a curvature dimensioned and adapted to conform with a wrist of a wearer; the base plate defined by a first end, a second end, a leading edge and a trailing edge a first top plate connected to the base plate at a first intersection of the leading edge and the first end; a second top plate connected to the base plate at a second intersection of the leading edge and the second end; and a closure flap pivotably connected to a proximal edge of the first top plate in such a way that the closure flap is movable between an open position and a closed position urging the first and second top plates toward the base plate.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 63/172,809, U.S. provisional application number filed 9 Apr. 2021, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to cufflinks and, more particularly, a cufflink for long-sleeve casual garments to control the length of the garment's sleeve at the wrist.

There are long-sleeve garments that are not typically tailored, such as sweaters, jerseys, hoodies, and the like, yet frequently worn, even to semi-formal events or non-formal events that people what to affect a certain style. However, these long-sleeve garments can be problematic for the wearer if they care about having a fashionably correct and/or desired length for the sleeves. This is because these non-tailored long-sleeve garments tend to hang too long at the cuff, covering the wearer's wristwear or even parts of their hand in a non-aesthetically pleasing manner. Such non-tailored long-sleeve garments typically do not have a cufflink hole for using traditional cufflinks to solve this problem.

As can be seen, there is a need for a cufflink for garment sleeves without cufflink holes, so that wearers of non-tailored long-sleeve casual garments can selectively control the length of the garment's sleeve at or around their wrist.

The present invention embodies a securing clip that acts as a cufflink for long-sleeve garments that do not have a cufflink hole. The present invention secures the distal end of the sleeve/cuff at or adjacent the wrist of the wearer, wherein the present invention is adapted to prevent the cuff from extending past a certain portion adjacent the wrist of the wearer, thereby allowing the wearer's wristwear and/or hand to remain visible when desired. As a result, the present invention obviates the need of a user to either modify a favorite long-sleeve garment (e.g., by cutting a hole through the cuff area) in a makeshift manner or pay a tailor to control (and permanently alter) the cuff length of their favorite long-sleeve garment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a device controlling a position of a sleeve relative to a wrist of a wearer, the device includes the following: a base plate having a curvature dimensioned and adapted to conform with a wrist of a wearer; the base plate defined by a first end, a second end, a leading edge and a trailing edge a first top plate connected to the base plate at a first intersection of the leading edge and the first end; a second top plate connected to the base plate at a second intersection of the leading edge and the second end; and a closure flap pivotably connected to a proximal edge of the first top plate in such a way that the closure flap is movable between an open position and a closed position urging the first and second top plates toward the base plate.

In another aspect of the present invention, the above-mentioned device includes, in the closed position, the closure flap extending past a distal edge of the second top plate; and further including the following: a gripper button forming each of the first and second intersections; a plurality of grippers along an inner surface of the base plate and an inner surface of each of the first and second top plates so that at least a plurality of occluding pairs of grippers are provided, wherein each gripper button is operatively associated with at least one of the pluralities of occluding pairs of grippers in such a way that each occluding pair is moveable between an engaged position and a disengaged position; a plurality of protruding pads disposed along an outer surface of the curvature; and a sensor operatively associated with each protruding pads and a control circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is configured to export data sensed by each sensor.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in a closed position.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in an open position.

FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in the open position.

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown with external components in hidden lines to better illustrate and detail internal components. Note, the electrical connector 37 is housed in the base plate 10, while the grippers 34 are between the base plate 10 and the top plates 12 and 14.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown with external components in hidden lines to better illustrate and detail internal components.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 6, the present invention may include a cuff clip 100. The cuff clip 100 may have an arcuate base plate 10 with a curvature dimensioned and adapted to conform to a cuff of a sleeve. In certain embodiments, the base plate 10 may have the following dimensions that ranges from approximately 2 centimeters to 8 centimeters for the length, 2 centimeters to 8 centimeters for the width and 1 centimeters to 4 centimeters for the thickness, where the curvature has a radius of curvature that ranges from approximately 0.5 centimeters to 3 centimeters. Along a lower surface of the base plate 10 may be spaced apart protruding pads 28 that contact the skin of the user.

The base plate 10 may extend between a first end 52 and a second end 54. A first accurate top plate 12 may be connected to the first end 52, to a top portion of the base plate 10, by way of a gripper button 26. The first accurate top plate 12 may have a curvature approximately the same as the curvature of the arcuate base plate 10. The first accurate top plate 12 may extend from the first end 52 of the arcuate base plate 10 back toward a midpoint of the arcuate base plate 10 though stopping just short of said midpoint. Along this near-midpoint edge 12 a of the first accurate top plate 12 is a pivot point 22, wherein the pivot point 22 is operatively associated with a closure flap 18 so that the closure flap 18 is movable between a closed position (see FIG. 1) and an open position (FIG. 2). The pivot point 22 may be a hinge rod or any pivotable connection that facilitates the movability of the closure flap 18 as disclosed herein.

A second accurate top plate 14 may be connected to the second end 54, to a top portion of the base plate 10, by way of a second gripper button 26. The second accurate top plate 14 may have a curvature approximately the same as the curvature of the arcuate base plate 10. The second accurate top plate 14 may extend from the second end 54 of the arcuate base plate 10 back toward a midpoint of the arcuate base plate 10 though stopping just short of said midpoint.

In the closed position, the closure flap 18 overlaps the near-midpoint edge 14 a and adjacent portions of the second accurate top plate 14. Along an upper surface of the second accurate top plate 14, adjacent to and/or just inward of its near-midpoint edge 14 a may be spaced apart plate protrusions 16. Along a lower surface of the closure flap 18 may be spaced apart flap protrusions 20. The plate and flap protrusions 16 and 20 may be spaced apart and dimensioned so that they either align to contact each other or occlude (like molar teeth), or alternatively they are nonaligned to mesh (like gear teeth).

A side plate 24 along a leading edge 56 of the cuff clip 100 facilitates the connection of the first and second top plates 12 and 14 to the base plate 10 by way of the gripper buttons 26, respectively. The leading edge 56 being opposite a trailing edge 58, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The side plate 24 may support the gripper buttons 26 at each of the first end 52 and the second end 54 of the base plate 10.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, along an upper surface of the base plate 10 and along lower surfaces of the first and second top plates 12 and 14 a plurality of grippers 34 may be provided. The plurality of grippers 34 may be provided along and just inward of each of the first and second edges 52 and 54. Two or more grippers 34 on a shared surface (e.g., the lower portion of the first top plate 12) may be connected by an actuator connection 35 that operatively associates with the respective gripper button 26.

In certain embodiments, because of providing a gripper 34 on each opposing surface, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, two grippers 34 can be aligned to be occluding. The actuator connection 35 may electrically or mechanically move occluding grippers 34 between an engaged position and a disengaged position, when a user manipulates the gripper button 26. The disengaged position enables a user to slide a sleeve 42 between each of said opposing grippers 34 by way of the trailing edge 58, while in the engaged position the occluding grippers 34 would engage any sleeve 42 therebetween. In FIG. 4, on the second end 54 of the cuff clip 100 it shows both a pair of occluding grippers 34 in the disengaged position (spaced apart) and in the engaged position (touching each other). For electrically powered actuator connections 35 there would be electrical wiring and components housed in the actuator connection 35.

An elastic object 30 that stores mechanical energy, such as a spring, a torsion spring, or the like, with a spring pin 32 may be disposed along or integrated in the pivot point 22, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The spring pin 32 enables the elastic object to be locked in the opened and the closed positions (e.g., through one or more grooves provided by the base plate 10, though the elastic object 30 biases the closure flap 18 in the closed position. A user would manually move the closure flap 18 to the open position, wherein the spring pin 32 engages in a groove (not shown) to stay in the open position. The spring-loaded closure flap 18 may be freed from the groove to be released, snapping back to secure the garment 42 in the closed position.

A data sensor 36 may be operatively associated with each protruding pad 28 so that the data sensor 36 can sense properties from the skin of the wearer. In certain embodiments, may read the heartrate of the wearer as well as other vitals. This collected data can be exported and managed by the programmable control circuitry 40. In certain embodiments, the collected data of the data sensors 36 may be exportable to a software application for tracking a wearer. The control circuitry 40 may be coupled to an internal power source 38 (such as a battery) also housed in the base plate 10. The control circuitry 40 may be configured for collecting programable data. An electrical connector (“circuit strip”) 37 electrically couples the programmable control circuitry 40 with the sensors 36.

A method of using the present invention may include the following. An edge of a cuff or garment 42 may be slide between the base plate 10 and the first and second top plates 12 and 14 by way of the trailing edge 58, when the grippers 34 are in the disengaged position. The trailing edge 58 may have no side plate 24 and so resembles a maw between the base and top plates for receiving said portion of the garment 42. Excess fabric or material of the garment 42 may be gathered so that the cuff snugly engages the wrist of the wearer, thereby fixing the cuff at that location, thereby selectively controlling the length or distal end of the sleeve at or adjacent to the wrist or wherever desired. The excess material may protrude between the first and second top plates 12 and 14 in such a way that when the grippers 24 are moved to the engaged position (via the leading-edge spring-loaded buttons 26—e.g., by pressing the buttons 26 between their index finger and thumb) and/or when the closure flap 18 is moved to the closed position, the excess material of the cuff/garment 42 is cinched.

A method of making the present invention may include the following. A manufacturer may start with a three-dimensional (3D) computer design which can be used by a with a 3D printer. After the correct measurements for a mold are inputted into the 3D printer, a mold may be formed. The manufacturer may then pour chosen heated metals or plasticized material into mold, allow the metals or plastics to harden, remove mold, clean, and then polish. Then the manufacturer may attach the locking components.

As used in this application, the term “about” or “approximately” refers to a range of values within plus or minus 10% of the specified number. And the term “substantially” refers to up to 90% or more of an entirety. Recitation of ranges of values herein are not intended to be limiting, referring instead individually to any and all values falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated, and each separate value within such a range is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. The words “about,” “approximately,” or the like, when accompanying a numerical value, are to be construed as indicating a deviation as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art to operate satisfactorily for an intended purpose. Ranges of values and/or numeric values are provided herein as examples only, and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of the described embodiments. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (“e.g.,” “such as,” or the like) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the embodiments and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the embodiments or the claims. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any unclaimed element as essential to the practice of the disclosed embodiments.

In the following description, it is understood that terms such as “first,” “second,” “top,” “bottom,” “up,” “down,” and the like, are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms unless specifically stated to the contrary. The directional terms, such as “bottom” (“lower”) and “top” (“upper”) conveniently can be understood looking at FIGS. 1-3, wherein toward the top margin is in the upward (“top”) direction, while as a corollary, toward the bottom margin of FIGS. 1-3 is toward the downward (“bottom”) direction.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A device controlling a position of a sleeve relative to a wrist of a wearer, the device comprising: a base plate having a curvature dimensioned and adapted to conform with a wrist of a wearer; the base plate defined by a first end, a second end, a leading edge and a trailing edge a first top plate connected to the base plate at a first intersection of the leading edge and the first end; a second top plate connected to the base plate at a second intersection of the leading edge and the second end; and a closure flap pivotably connected to a proximal edge of the first top plate in such a way that the closure flap is movable between an open position and a closed position urging the first and second top plates toward the base plate.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein in the closed position the closure flap extends past a distal edge of the second top plate.
 3. The device of claim 2, further comprising a gripper button forming each of the first and second intersections.
 4. The device of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of grippers along an inner surface of the base plate and an inner surface of each of the first and second top plates so that at least a plurality of occluding pairs of grippers are provided.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein each gripper button is operatively associated with at least one of the pluralities of occluding pairs of grippers in such a way that each occluding pair is moveable between an engaged position and a disengaged position.
 6. The device of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of protruding pads disposed along an outer surface of the curvature.
 7. The device of claim 6, further comprising a sensor operatively associated with each protruding pads and a control circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is configured to export data sensed by each sensor. 